Professions

[funtime37]

I am a maintenance controller for a major cargo airline. my wife is a dispatcher for a big cable company. not very glamorous but it gets the bills paid. and yes i also do the house cleaning and the shopping because of my work hours.

[robbermagnet]

I have been wondering lately what is the most common profession of those involved in this lifestyle. I have heard that many are in 'caring' type professions, teachers, therapists, doctors. I'm sure there are more...I tried to make a poll out of this, but I can't figure it out. So what are they? What do you get up everyday and do to make money to buy those toys we all love so much?

Interesting question. I've been wondering this myself.

I'm a social worker and administrator, one of those "caring types" you mentioned.

By asking this question on line, you are limiting the responses to those who are computer users, or specifically, those who are adept enough with the technology to find and use a forum like this. I suspect you'll find a lot of IT folks here, not because they are more kinky, but because they might be more likely than other professions to find this forum.

When you say that many are in the "caring type" professions, would you say that's across the bdsm board? Or would you say that the caring professions tend to attract subs? I seem to meet a lot of doms who are firefighters. It will be interesting to see if there is a link between various bsdm orientations and career choice.

[masterkurt]

Let me join in: I am a mining engineer and I must admit that I like my work very much and it has given me exciting moments (and still gives some).... I think that I became an engineer because I like tecnology and I choose mining because it sounds very adventurous and romantic ... and ... yes, indeed, it is.

Now, for statistical purposes, I could recall what profession my slaves were into:
the first became a lawyer and worked for the national railways;
the second ... well I don't know as I lost track
the third became archeology assistant at the university of Rome
the fourth studied to become a bibliothecarian (hope the term is correct),
the last, caroline, was a housewife, though she was a college graduate.

As far as I know, none of them browses the net, so would never meet them on a forum like this ... If I try to guess what they and other slaves I met had in common, I would pinpoint a solid cultural background and this seems to apply also to most dominants I met on the scene.

[NaturalSub]

I'm a caring type, I'm a teacher and I also run 4 youth groups, but then, I'm in the Army and I perform as a side show artist.

I guess the major factor in all of those jobs is the responsibility of others, lots of others. I always have to be in control, therefore, I find it very hard to let go in my personal life.

When I am with my Master, it is an immediate chnge, he is in charge, and he is the one with the responsibility for others.

[Master4slave]

Pharmacist here, heard everyone is talking about alot of health professioals in the lifestyle but not many have posted here.

[Curtis]

Since some of the previous posters have spoken for those who have not, I'll add 10 cents here. Of the people on this board with whom I either have or do communicate on a regular basis, one runs a cash register, one works at a coffee bar, one is a college professor and one writes news for a living.

I spend the warm months doing yardwork, and during the winter I engage in Tourguide's occupation (sitting on my butt, wishing I had an au pair to play with).

[Chuckdom19]

(snip)
I spend the warm months doing yardwork, and during the winter I engage in Tourguide's occupation (sitting on my butt, wishing I had an au pair to play with).

Shot off in the war?

[Rex]

interesting topic. i used to make furniture (to buy my toys) but i think the b&d thing caught my attention as a kid. would being a musician (artist) have anything to do with it???? after all---bondage is an art form

[Rex]

im told, if you keep bananas in a "warm" place, they ripen faster

[spike]

im told, if you keep bananas in a "warm" place, they ripen faster

Unfortunately, Rex, to ripen they need an oxygen supply.

Spike, fantasy deflater

[wannabeXopsed]

I guess that was the point, those banana's would stay hard a very long time without oxygen, but on the other hand (sorta speaking)when it was lunch time it would be coming from a warm place

T

P.s. While I am at work, I am the Boss, so it nice to let go of that power when I get home. I just bring home the banana's.

[Spitman]

I have been engaged in several kinds of professional activity, including several that have been mentioned here. My interest in bdsm started long before I had any idea which profession I was going to follow. My writing is uninfluenced by the kind of work I am presently doing. My presence here did not derive from a professional involvement in computing either.

My imagination uses tools I have acquired throughout my life, but not only through the activities that I got paid for. Expertise that I acquired through leisure pursuits comes into it too. In my experience I have something in common with MasterKurt, but also with Allyslittleone.

BDSM_Tourguide said that for people in power careers, submission could provide a form of stress relief. I don't disagree, but I cannot say that I only project power in the workplace, or that I am submissive by inclination. I do have some masochism in my makeup, but I always have to be in control.

I would add to BDSM_Tourguide's comment that there are also people who do not have the opportunity to project power at work, so do it in the bdsm lifestyle. This could be seen as a contrasting stress relief strategy. I knew a bus driver who vented all his frustration in his erotic writing. Maybe there are a lot more of those out there.

[robbermagnet]

I have been engaged in several kinds of professional activity, including several that have been mentioned here. My interest in bdsm started long before I had any idea which profession I was going to follow. My writing is uninfluenced by the kind of work I am presently doing. My presence here did not derive from a professional involvement in computing either.

I'm not so sure the relationship, if there is one, between career choice and bdsm role is a causal one. I think it's more likely that there is a causal relationsip between personality type and bdsm role, and between personality type and career choice. The relationship between bdsm role and career choice would then be incidental.

Example. I am a social worker. Social work initially appealed to me because I get a sense of fulfillment from providing comfort and being of assistance to others. Perhaps submission is fulfilling to me for the same reason social work is: it gives me the opportunity to provide comfort and be of assistance to a dominant. But the other things that I do at work all day -- supervising a staff, generating reports, writing budgets -- in no way have any direct effect on my bdsm role, except to make me a little cranky at times. I think that this point of view (that there could be a relationsip between bdsm role and career) applies only for those individuals who chose careers based on what they might find fulfilling, or based on what where their talents lie. It woldn't necesssarily hold up for those practical individuals who see their work solely as a way to generate an income.

[Lord Thomas]

I am the thief of the highway.

I drive for a major van line. That means I am a mover, you know those big guys that come into your old home and strip it, artistically stack everything into a trailer, close the doors and drive to a new home or storage and get your shit off of our truck.

To do My job you have to be a painslut. If you are not bleeding by ten in the morning you are not trying hard enough. Oh and if you do not hate people before becoming a mover it will take the most philanthropic a day or two to hate and loathe the rest of the human speicies.

Its a great job, if you don't die you can see america one mile at a time by the glow of your headlights.

LT

[Mobius]

For those that dont already know by reading my post's I drive the short bus.
Good job for those who dont want to work very hard. And make even less.
Although I start at 6am I am done with my morning wrote on the couch watching TV by 10:30. Then I have an after noon run from 3-4:30. After the first couple of days it gets rutine as you memorize the rought. The kids for the most part dont bother you. In the morning they sleep and in the after noon they sleep even more.

I have a self tought "IT" background of over 10 years on PC Networking and Macintosh. I got laid off due to the tech slow down and my lack of mannors on the phone back in 2000. Due to my gargantuan size and bad teeth. I was not able to find gainfull employment for over 2 years. Other than temp work. So like many of my peers I found another way of making a living. Not wanting to work at wall mart or mcdonalds. I thought of trucking. But the prospect of spending 345 plus days in the cab of a truck duanting. Driving a cab was out becouse I am not very good with directions. Then I rememberd seeing the white suberbans from back in highschool. Tracked down the company and they hired me. Not hard the repuirements are few. Clean driving record, No drugs or ahcohal and beable to pass a dot phisical.

It is now almost 3 years lator. I am still at it and I am almost making a living wage out of it. It is a good second income. If I had social security I would be in great shape. But I do not. So with my income and the perantal units Social securtiy we are making enough to support our selves.

Will I do this for another couple of years? I do not know. I have applied to Greyhound for there training program. That was 6 months ago and other than a criptic msg that they were not hiring right now I have heard nothing from them.

I think eventualy I will have to get serious about a driving carreer and get a job with a company that drives a strieght truck. but for now it is enougth

[Adamoverjules]

I realized that I posted the topic, but completely forgot to add my own 2 cents, oops haha.
Well, right now I'm a student still, but I'm majoring in Secondary Education, probably going into Special Ed actually.

There isn't as much of a correlation as I thought there mjight be, however, it is true that this is just a small sample of the 'true' community...too bad I have no idea how to go about polling the entire BDSM community.

[BorderCollie]

Hi Ya Gang,
I'm a motoring magazine owner/editor and 100% Aussie, my Canadian sub wife is a mad quilter/shop manager.

Cheers
BorderCollie

[Master Jack's pet]

add another to the "helping" professionals. i'm a former special education teacher but have been a youth service professional/social service administrator for the past 20 years.

[craftygirl]

I'm an executive assistant. :help:

*chuckle*

[Artemis]

I'm a university student...for a few more weeks at least. I also work at a day care center with children ages 18 months to 13 years so I'm part of the helping professions. I wouldn't mind developing a writing career though. My Master is studying computer networking at the moment and will hopefully have something better than a student job sometime in the near future.

~Artemis~

[Curtis]

:hijacked:
Hey Artemis! Long time, no see!

[Magister]

Heh, count me in as another Special Education teacher.

[jaeangel]

As noted before in my other post, I am curently a full-time writer.

However in my former life as a single woman, I was a shoe salesperson, a cellular sales rep, a computer salesperson, warehouse merchandiser, deli-shop meat slicer, ice cream scooper/smoothie maker, lingerie salesperson for VS, and bookseller.

Not all at once, of course.

[Artemis]

:hijacked:
Hey Artemis! Long time, no see!

Hey Curtis

Yes, it's been quite a while since I've been able to sneak into the forums and see what's being talked about. The demise of my personal computer has greatly limited my online time and so I've not been able to visit lately due to school, work, and Master's demands. I never totally disappear though. I do enjoy the forums and the people here.

~Artemis~

[Lia]

A large number of people in "power" careers that are involved in BDSM/kink are submissive outside of the workplace. Letting go of their control and authority, even if only for a little while, is great stress relief for those types of people. Almost like a min-vacation.

Many "power" people also utilize the services of professional dominants for exploring their kinkiness.

There's a thread about that somewhere around here.

Count me in on this one. I am an executive at a $1 billion company. Lots of people reporting to me. Can't wait to get home at night and strip off my clothes to be played with by my Master!!

[axelsteijger]

I'm not so sure the relationship, if there is one, between career choice and bdsm role is a causal one. I think it's more likely that there is a causal relationsip between personality type and bdsm role, and between personality type and career choice. The relationship between bdsm role and career choice would then be incidental.

Example. I am a social worker. Social work initially appealed to me because I get a sense of fulfillment from providing comfort and being of assistance to others. Perhaps submission is fulfilling to me for the same reason social work is: it gives me the opportunity to provide comfort and be of assistance to a dominant. But the other things that I do at work all day -- supervising a staff, generating reports, writing budgets -- in no way have any direct effect on my bdsm role, except to make me a little cranky at times. I think that this point of view (that there could be a relationsip between bdsm role and career) applies only for those individuals who chose careers based on what they might find fulfilling, or based on what where their talents lie. It woldn't necesssarily hold up for those practical individuals who see their work solely as a way to generate an income.

I do not think I agree with you. I think social work is a dominant occupation. Social workers, like doctors and notaris (?) and the professions have power that practical occupations do not. Practical work is submissive because they do not have power.

I earn money by selling my skill. I can be easily dismissed or find it hard to get work. Nobody would care. It does not affect my sexual role.

[TeasedWhispers]

Well since I got out of college I've been doing secertarial jobs,lol...yeah boring

[Azazel]

While I put myself through university I was a system administrator for a large Telco. Then on finishing it was off into government to be a policy officer, developing economic policy on infrastructure, mostly water related.

[bitch_slave]

Pharmacist here, wasn't very caring today though...wanted to bitch-slap one of my patients.

[petpleasureyes]

i'm an out-of-work network administrator. i'm considering taking up writing again and see if i can turn out a book or two. i'm also saving up to buy a violin (i already feel sorry for my neighbors) and learn how to play it.
slave gary